Who Was Liyakat Wani? Slain Militant’s Son Also Died As Militant

With the killing of 20 year old Hizb militant Liyakat Munir Wani, the Wani family in Belo village of South Kashmir’s Pulwama district virtually wiped out as only sole bread earner of the family who survives is the post graduate brother of the graduate slain militant.

Liyakat Munir Wani, who had completed his graduation in History with 92 per cent marks, was killed along with his associate Wajid-ul-Islam in a gunfight at Takin village of Pulwama district on Saturday morning.

Liyakat had joined militant ranks in January 2017. According to his family he was very religious and hard worker. “Liyakat was a bright student who tried to join militant ranks prior to 2017 but was always persuaded by relatives to return to family. In January 2017, he left and didn’t listen to anyone. Today, we saw his bullet riddled body,” said his uncle to news agency CNS.

Liyakat was only one year old when he lost his mother who according to family suffered cardiac arrest due to continuous raids on her house by the then government gunmen who were looking for her militant husband Munir Ahmed Wani.

Munir Ahmed Wani, the father of Liyakat was affiliated with militant outfit Hizbul Mujhadeen survived for 8 long years as militant and was known as Colonel Jameel. He according to family was elevated by Hizb as Divisional Commander in 1990’s due to his ‘steadfastness’ in the field of militancy.

“The father of Liyakat went other part of Kashmir during the hey days of militancy in 1989. After taking arms training, Munir returned back in 1991. He remained active for 8 long years. His family suffered heavily due to Munir. Munir was a known wanted militant. The family members faced lot of harassment and witnessed frequent raids. At one time, whole family migrated to other part and lately returned to Belo village after the killing of Munir Ahmed Wani alias Colonel Jameel,” said a relative.

While divulging information about the death of the father of Liyakat, the relative said that Munir was arrested by the then government gunmen in 1998 from Kashmir capital Srinagar. “Two days after his arrest, his dead body was found at Sontabugh, adjacent to his native village Belo. Liyakat was only two years old then.”

“It were relatives who gave Liyakat and his brother Imtiyaz shelter and took care of their studies. Imtiyaz did post graduation in History while Liyakat after completion of graduation joined militant ranks. Imtiyaz is the only bread earner for the family now.”

Five back to back funeral prayers were offered for Liyakat by tens of thousands of mourners at his native village. If sources are to be believed, Liyakat spent much of the time in the company of slain scholar turned Hizb militant Dr Manan Wani who was killed last month at Shatgund Handwara in North Kashmir.

The relatives of Liyakat are from well-to-families and are very affluent. “There was a delay in his last rites as some of his relatives who occupy top positions in government departments were stuck somewhere. Liyakat was laid to rest in their presence.”

SSP Pulwama Chandan Kohli told CNS that he doesn’t know whether Liyakat was close to Manan Wani or not but added that killing of any top militant is always an achievement for the establishment. “Don’t know what motivates youth to join militancy but we always try our best to counsel and guide them.”

Another official said that it is a wrong notion the Forces target trapped militants directly. “We ask them to surrender and in majority of the case they refuse to do so. Persuading a militant to surrender is far greater than to neutralize him, but unfortunately, this doesn’t often happen.”